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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26901682">Almost There</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainofAugust/pseuds/RainofAugust'>RainofAugust</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lana and Viri - KOTFE [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fictober, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, carbonite recovery, kotfe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:07:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,481</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26901682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainofAugust/pseuds/RainofAugust</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Empire's Wrath has been out of carbonite for about fifteen hours, and she's having a rough night. Her partner, Lana Beniko, tries to soothe her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lana Beniko/Female Sith Warrior</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lana and Viri - KOTFE [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/999348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Almost There</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Fictober 2020, using two prompts: "trust me" and "first time." I've already written about Lana and Viri's romantic firsts, so this is the first time Viri trusts Lana to help her with her recovery from carbonite poisoning. Set after the first chapter of "Five Times."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been a night without sleep. Unrest rattles through the Force, pulsing through the bond Lana Beniko shares with the Empire’s Wrath. The Wrath, who is now without her Empire; the Wrath who is now a fugitive hiding in the swamps of Zakuul. The Wrath who, in her extreme carbonite-damaged state, has been pacing through the bridge of the Gravestone for three hours, fourteen minutes and two seconds, by Lana’s best estimate. Her boots resonate against the ancient tiles as she staggers from one end of the bridge to the other. </p><p>They’ve chosen the bridge as their shelter; it’s the only part of the ship they’ve been able to clear out in the night. Koth had insisted on continuing his repairs; HK-55 is on patrol; and Lana has taken the opportunity to try to convince Viri to rest. As Sith lords they both are accustomed to sleeping in unusual places: trees. Caves. Sarcophagi. The grimy floor of an ancient starship is mundane next to most of it. </p><p>Except that Viri has not slept; has refused to even close her eyes. She’s paced a clean circle in the grime of the bridge’s floor, and Lana has not been able to get her to stop. Carbonite poisoning has taken a grave toll with Viri.  </p><p>”I know you’ve had a lot to take in today,” Lana says, trying again. “But you need to sleep now.” Even as she says it, the absurdity of the statement is clear to her; Viri’s been “sleeping” for five years. Except that she hasn’t. </p><p>”No,” Viri insists, pivoting and pacing toward the other side of the room. “I will not sleep.” </p><p>”Is there anything I could say that would convince you to at least stop pacing? Please?”</p><p>”You won’t let me eat,” Viri snaps. “You won’t let me drink very much water. You don’t want to tell me about the Empire, because you say I’ll be too upset. My mind won’t let me meditate. What is there to do?” </p><p>”Viri, you’re not well,” Lana says wearily. “Your system can’t handle any of those things right now. What if I tell you a story?” </p><p>”Oh, I heard a lot of stories in carbonite,” Viri murmurs. “Too many.” </p><p>“Other than food and…sex…is there anything that would make you happy right now?”  </p><p>The question stops Viri in her tracks, miraculously. “I…need to bathe. I stink.” </p><p>“Viri, we’re in the swamp, the ship isn’t operational yet…” Lana soothes. </p><p>”I stink,” Viri repeats, pulling at her own clothing. “All I smell is carbonite. It’s everywhere…” </p><p>”I understand,” Lana says, getting up. “Can you stay here for a moment? Let me see what we can do.” </p><p>”Don’t leave me,” Viri whispers. </p><p>”I’m not leaving you,” Lana reassures her. “I just want to talk to Koth in the next room. Nobody can get into the bridge without walking past both of us. All right?” </p><p>”Don’t be long.” </p><p>”I won’t be,” Lana says, pulling the bridge door closed behind her. </p><p>* </p><p>It isn’t hard to find Koth; Lana just follows the sounds of drilling and welding. Koth is in the small antechamber near the bridge, busily repairing some of the conduits. Lana has given up on asking him to rest. In the twelve hours since they found the Gravestone Koth has already bonded with the ship; has already adopted it as his own, and his sole focus is on reviving it. </p><p>”How is she?” Koth says, keeping his eyes fixed on the console before him.</p><p>”She’s…alive,” Lana says carefully. </p><p>”Carbonite did a number on her.” </p><p>”That it did,” Lana says, frowning. “But I have every confidence she will heal and return to her full strength.”</p><p>”Why aren’t you with her?” Koth says, shifting some wires in the panel. “I thought you were staying with her while she rests.” </p><p>”I am, but I'm trying to help her, too. You’ve had more of a chance to look around the ship. I don’t suppose you found any operational refreshers or sinks? Viri wants to bathe.” </p><p>”I’m so glad that Viri’s big worry right now is her personal hygiene,” Koth says sardonically.</p><p>“She hasn’t had a bath in five years,” says Lana. “Give her a break. It might help her to get that carbonite dust washed off her skin. Who knows how it’s still poisoning her? And she needs to calm down. She’s inconsolable and it’s making her sicker.”</p><p>”When you phrase it that way, yeah, it makes sense,” Koth concedes. “Needless to say we don’t have water yet, but I saw some refreshers in the cabins on this level. She could use one of the tubs there. Gravity should at least drain the water to the bilge, even without power.” </p><p>”That should work,” Lana says. “Although I hope we can get the plumbing on this ship up soon.” </p><p>“Yeah, same. In the meantime, we can send HK out for water. I collected some barrels over there...” </p><p>”Good,” Lana says. “Thank you, Koth. HK, would you…?” </p><p>”Assertion: I will return shortly,” HK-55 says, picking up two empty barrels and leaving the room. </p><p>”Let’s see what else we have here for a bath…” Koth says, nodding at the small pile of supplies salvaged from the crashed shuttle. “Surface cleanser. You will want to wipe down that tub.” </p><p>”I don’t suppose you found any shampoo or soap in the wreckage.” </p><p>”Hang on, there actually should be something,” Koth says, pulling an oblong box from the heap and opening it. “They had a bunch of Zakuulan civvie emergency kits in the cargo hold, and those usually come standard with a few toiletries…here. All-purpose bath gel. Good for hair or body.” </p><p>”This is what they put in their emergency kits?” Lana says, raising an eyebrow as she examines the elaborate bottle. “Rather posh, wouldn’t you say? I wasn’t expecting lush floral scents…” </p><p>“You know how it is with Zakuul,” Koth shrugs. “Pampered all the way. Here, there’s a towel too. You think she’ll need anything else? They’ve got some tooth cleaning tablets here.” </p><p>”Well, she hasn’t been able to brush her teeth for five years, so those can’t hurt,” Lana says, putting the small bag in her pocket.</p><p>”The cabins are just down the hall from here,” Koth says, adjusting another wire and standing up. “I’ll take over HK’s patrol until he returns. And when HK gets back I’ll tell him where to find you.” </p><p>”Thank you,” Lana says, turning to leave. </p><p>”Oh, and Lana?” </p><p>”Yes?” </p><p>”I hope she feels better. I mean it.” Koth meets her eyes. </p><p>”Thank you. So do I,” Lana nods, and heads back to the bridge. </p><p>* </p><p>There’s one light in the cabin; a small emergency lantern bobbing gently in the corner of the room. There’s nowhere to set it down so Lana simply floats it, keeping it in the air with a simple manipulation of the Force in her peripheral awareness. Viri is undressing in the dim glow, peeling away layer after layer of armor. HK-55 has helped them clean the sink, towel rack and tub, but the floor and walls are still coated with dirt. Dust puffs up around Viri as she moves, making her attempts to shake the carbonite residue from her clothes somewhat futile. </p><p>”I wish I didn’t have to put these back on afterward,” Viri says dully, placing the clothes on the empty towel rack. “No way around it, I suppose.” </p><p>“Here, we can wash out your socks and undergarments, at least,” Lana says, taking them from the rack and walking them over to the sink. “While you clean up, I’ll take care of these.” It isn’t even a question that Lana will stay during the bath; it’s painfully obvious to both of them that she needs to be there. </p><p>”You shouldn’t have to do laundry for me, Lana,” Viri protests, stepping carefully into the tub. The water HK-55 has drawn from the spring is so frigid that Viri hisses as soon as it hits her skin, but it is something to <i>feel;</i> something that is not the nothingness of carbonite.   </p><p>”Nonsense. They need to be cleaned, and I’m right here,” Lana says, but she can’t help but smile. Viri’s bra and underwear are neon green and orange with wild zig zags; and the socks are as loud and silly as her undergarments, with smiley faces scattered across bright blue fabric. Five years in carbonite haven’t faded the electric colors. </p><p>“Well..thank you,” Viri grits her teeth and grinds her jaw as she forces her arms to move and wash herself, and pain radiates through her Force signature. </p><p>”I know that’s not easy,” Lana says, sending reassurance through the bond as she hangs Viri’s clothes on the towel rack to dry, “But you need to move your arms and legs, Viri. They’ve been too still for too long.”</p><p>”Got it,” Viri says, rinsing her face. Her makeup - what is left of it - runs into the water. Without the makeup, the dark shadows under her eyes seem even more pronounced. </p><p>”Does the water feel good, at least?” Lana says, sitting down on the edge of the tub. </p><p>”It stings,” Viri shakes her head. As she reaches back to loosen her ponytail, her hair tie falls apart in her hand. And as she raises her arms again to wash her hair, her muscles shake. </p><p>”Kriffing hell, <i>why…</i>” Viri snaps, throwing the bottle to the floor. </p><p>”Love, it’s all right,” Lana says, summoning the bottle back to her hand. “May I help you?” </p><p>Viri swivels in the tub to look at her, her unfocused eyes searching Lana’s face. “Help me what?” </p><p>”Wash your hair,” Lana says. Viri huffs an exasperated sigh. </p><p>”What do you mean I can wash my own hair I’m the Empire’s Wrath except there isn’t one now and I’m in a swamp I am Sith I can wash my own damned hair…” Viri seethes, her words slurred. “I’m not a child I was just in carbonite Lana…” </p><p>”Give it time, you’re still waking up,” Lana says patiently, taking Viri’s hand and giving it a squeeze. </p><p>”Why are you touching me? I still reek of carbonite.” She’s not wrong; the odor of carbonite still oozes from her pores. </p><p>”It isn’t gone, but it’s not as strong as it was,” Lana says carefully. “It seems like you’re sweating it out. It’s probably going to take a few days to cycle through. I really don’t mind how you smell. But if you don’t want me to touch you, I won’t.” </p><p>Viri clutches her hand. “No, please…I didn’t mean, I didn’t want…but the carbonite is disgusting…I love your touch…” </p><p>”Love, it’s all right,” Lana says, kneeling beside her and stroking her back. “Your brain isn’t entirely switched on yet. Nothing about you is disgusting.” </p><p>”I can’t think straight…” Viri whispers. “Please.” </p><p>”I’m here,” Lana murmurs, drawing Viri toward her. Viri melts against her chest, just as she had before. “Why don’t you finish cleaning up, and you can get some sleep?” </p><p>”No,”Viri says, her eyes darting nervously about the clearing. “I don’t want to sleep. I spent five years ‘sleeping.’ If I sleep he’ll…”</p><p>”He’ll torment you again?” </p><p>Viri stares at her, chewing her lip anxiously as her face goes pale. </p><p>”All right. You finish cleaning up and you can just…lie down. You don’t have to sleep. But I think some quiet rest might help you recover.” </p><p>”You’ll be there?” Viri demands, clutching Lana’s hand again. </p><p>”Yes, I’ll stay with you all night,” Lana reassures her. “Do you need anything in the meantime?” </p><p>”Can you help with my hair?” Viri asks, looking away. </p><p>”Of course,” Lana says, grabbing the bottle again. “Can you pour some water over your head for me?” </p><p>Viri does, clumsily, her hands shaking. </p><p>”Right,” Lana says, quietly adding more water to Viri’s hair. “Just relax. I’ve got you.” </p><p>Viri says nothing, but tips her head back and sighs as Lana lathers up her hair. Lana’s hands work gently through the mass of curls, massaging shampoo down to Viri’s scalp. Carbonite dust clings to Viri’s hair and Lana does her best to wash it out, rinsing again and again until the water runs clear instead of gray. </p><p>”Feel all right?” Lana asks, although she can already sense contentment running through Viri’s Force signature. </p><p>”Yes,” Viri sighs, leaning into Lana’s touch.  </p><p>”Done,” Lana says, rinsing her hair one more time. “I…damn it. We don’t have a comb for you.” </p><p>”I have a special brush, but I also just…” Viri raises a trembling hand to try to run her fingers through her wet hair. </p><p>”Just tell me what to do,” Lana says, gently taking Viri’s hand away from her head. </p><p>”Just run your fingers through until there are no more knots,” Viri murmurs, closing her eyes again. And Lana does, working her fingers gently through each strand until it is untangled. </p><p>”Your hair tie disintegrated,” Lana murmurs. “I’m sorry. We can try to make or find a new one for you tomorrow. For now you’ll have to keep it down.”</p><p>”At least my hair didn’t disintegrate too,” Viri shrugs, pushing her hair back over her shoulders. “Are my clothes dry?” </p><p>”Here,” Lana says, floating the undergarments and socks over and warming them to dry them with the Force. “I’ll finish drying them for you.” </p><p>”Thank you,” Viri says listlessly, leaning against the wall. The bath has taken all her strength, Lana realizes. The faint spray of light in the room plays off the sharp bones in Viri’s sunken cheeks, and Lana is suddenly aware - again - of how much carbonite has harmed her. She’s able to dress herself, but pain flashes through her Force signature. </p><p>”I’ve got you,” Lana says again, looping her arm around Viri’s waist as she fastens her belt. “Stay close to me.” </p><p>”I’m not going to save the galaxy this way,” Viri murmurs, leaning heavily against Lana’s solid form. “Some Wrath I am.” </p><p>”Even the Wrath needs rest,” Lana says. “You’ve been through a lot.” </p><p>”So have you, it seems…” Viri says, her eyes flicking to Lana’s crush gauntlet at her hip. </p><p>”I’ll tell you everything when I can,” Lana reasons, squeezing her hip. <i>When you’re healed. When you’re not foggy from the carbonite. When your dreams stop haunting you.</i> “For now, let’s get you to the bridge so you can rest.” </p><p>As they walk back to the bridge, Viri’s steps are halting, and Lana feels protectiveness surging in her chest. And she realizes how quickly it has become second nature, at least when it comes to Viri. <i>Nobody will hurt you again, love. Not if I have anything to say about it. You will recover. I vow that.</i> </p><p>But in that moment Viri’s muscles are weak and burning with the stress of motion, after five years of stasis, and she bites her lip in frustration. </p><p>”Just a little more,” Lana urges her. “We’re almost there.”</p>
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